Extensible supporting rod



Sept. 8, 1959 K. F. NOXON EXTENSIBLE SUPPORTING ROD Filed 001;. 4, 1956 INVENTOR K. NOXON ATTO United States Patent Oflfice 2,902,709 Patented Sept. 8, 1959 2,902,709 EXTENSIBLE SUPPORTING ROD Kenneth Furby Noxon, Unionville, Ontario, Canada Application October 4, 1956, Serial No. 613,979

2 Claims. (Cl. 16-96) My invention relates to fireplace screens and more particularly to fireplace screen supports which can be adjusted to fit various widths of fireplaces.

Fireplaces are constructed to various non-standardized dimensions and since it would be uneconomical to provide a fireplace screen for each of the myriad number of 'difierent fireplaces, adjustable fire screens of many different types have been devised. In many of such prior structures, the fire screen, consisting of one or more screen parts, is suspended from a longitudinally adjustable rod or support which is secured in transverse position between the side walls of the combustion chamber. However, most of these arrangements in common use have not proved entirely satisfactory, particularly in respect to installation difficulties in mounting the support and also the unsightly drape of the fire screen. In such prior structures screen parts are suspended in such a way that when the support is contracted to fit into a narrower fireplace, the screen parts are forced to buckle and assume an undesirable wavy configuration. In many cases, in order to install the support, the side walls of the combustion chamber must be altered. Other supports necessitate the use of flanges or sockets which are adapted to receive the ends of the support and which must be screwed or embedded in the walls of the combustion chamber and hence have proved equally u'nsatisfactory.

In accordance with this invention, there has been provided an inexpensive, lightweight adjustable fireplace screen support wherein .these disadvantages have been mitigated. The support can be easily secured in place or removed and with the improved means provided, and the use of extrinsic supporting means or structural alteration of the fireplace is completely eliminated. The simple operation of the support makes it practical for the unskilled layman to install or remove the support itself, thus dispensing with the services of an artisan. In addition the fire screen parts are so arranged to be more pleasing to the eye, yet permit easy access to the combustion chamber for stoking the fire, cleaning or for other purposes.

It has been discovered that these desirable results are obtainable in the manner as hereinafter more fully described by constructing an adjustable support having an inner member, adapted to move longitudinally within an outer member, the outer member having a longitudinal line of holes in one side. A spring biased latching means for resisting telescopic sliding movement of the inner member is secured to the inner surface of the inner member and is adapted to engage any one of the holes in V the outer member, whereby free telescoping of the inner member is prevented yet still permitting a limited telescoping of the support under longitudinal compression. A longitudinal track or way is provided on the lower portion of each of the inner and outer members, and suspended from rollers riding in these ways or tracks are hooks which engage the upper portion of the screen parts. The tracks or ways are so arranged that the screens can move in overlapping relationship as the support is telescoped and also to permit the screens to be moved aside to allow access to the combustion chamber when the support is positioned within the fireplace.

Other advantages and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring tothe following clescription and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters denote corresponding pants, and wherein:

Fig. 1 shows a fireplace having the adjustable screen support of this invention mounted between the side walls of the combustion chamber;

Fig. 2 is a partially cut-away isometrical view of the screen support,

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken in a plane through 33 in Fig. 2.

The drawings illustrate one embodiment of the invention. In Fig. 1, the adjustable fire screen support, shown generally at 10, is positioned between the side walls 11 and 12 of the fireplace combustion chamber 13 and held therebetween in frictional engagement. The support consists of an inner U-shaped member 14, longitudinally slidable within an outer U-shaped member :15 and a spring biased latching mechanism 16 for resisting free longitudinal telescoping of the support yet permitting limited telescoping under longitudinal compression of the support. When mounted in position, the ends of the support are urged against the walls by the partially compressed spring of the latching means, whereby friction, between the ends of the supporting walls adjacent thereto hold the support in place. Two screen parts 17 and 18, preferably of chain mail or other flexible screen material are slidably suspended or rollers beneath members 14 and 15 respectively in tracks or Ways which lie in spaced parallel relationship, thereby permitting the screen parts 17 and 18, which are substantially as wide as their suspension members to be fully extended as shown. The screen parts are shown overlapping at 19, the amount overlapping dependent upon the length adjustment of the support. Also screen parts 17 and 18 can be moved towards the side walls 11 and 12 respectively on their slidable suspension means to permit access to the inside of the combustion chamber.

Turning now to a more detailed discussion of the component parts of the support and referring particularly to Figs. 2 and 3, it will be seen that the first outer member 15, substantially of U-shaped cross section, comprises generally a longitudinal web 20 joined at right angles to two opposed parallel flanges 21 and 22, the latter flange having a longitudinal line of equally spaced holes 23 to accommodate the above mentioned latching means 16, the details of which will be elaborated upon below. The lower edge portion of flange 21 is bent inwardly to form ledge 24 and then upwardly to form lip 25 whereby a rectangular longitudinal channel, running the full length of outer member '15, is defined by flange 2:1, ledge 24 and lip 25. Secured to ledge 24 is a C-shapcd member 26 having a web 27 joined to two flanges '28 and 29, the width of flange 28 being such that a narrow channel is formed between flange 21 and web 27 to receive flange 32 of the inner member 14.

The second inner member 14, also of substantially U- shaped cross section and having an external shape and size complementary to the internal shape and size of the outer member 15 is mounted within the outer member 15 in slidable relationship thereto. The inner member 14 comprises a top web 30 joined at right angles to two parallel opposed flanges 31 and 32. The lower portion of flange 31 is turned inwardly to form ledge 33 and then upwardly to form lip 34, the construction of the lower portion of flange 32 being similar to flange 21 of the outer member 15. A C-shaped member 35 comprising a web 36 and two flanges 37 and 38 is secured as shown to the top surface of ledge 33. When members 14 and 15 are assembled it will be apparent that the inwardly extending construction on flanges 24 and 33 which form the tracks or ways for the screen suspension assemblies Referring now to Fig. 3, the rollable screen suspension assemblies 39, shown mounted on the inwardly extending portion of flanges 24 and 33, comprise generally a metal or plastic roller 40, having an axial hole 41, and mounted therein a shaft 42 which extends downwardly and under the support as shown. The lower portion of shaft 42 is hooked to engage the screen parts.

Though only one screen suspension assembly is shown in each of the parallel tracks 'or ways, a number are used for each screenpart, the number depending upon the length and weight of the screen parts. Thus the screen parts suspended on these suspension assemblies are longitudinally movable relative to the support and lie in spaced relationship at all times relative to one another.

After the required number of screen suspension assemblies are inserted in the ways or tracks, both ends of lips 25 and 34 are bent down as shown at 43 to form stops to prevent the screen suspension assemblies from escaping from the support via the ends of the support. From the construction of the lower portion of flanges 21 and 31 it will be apparent that the rollers 40 are imprisoned in the tracks or ways once the ends of lips 25 and 34 have been bent down; transverse movement being limited by the webs 27 and 36 of the C-shaped members and the upwardly extending lips 25 and 34 of flanges 21 and 31 of the inner and outer members; vertical movement being limited by the top flanges 29 and 37 of the C-shaped members.

Referring now to Fig. 2, the latching mechanism 16, the function of which is to provide a means for resisting the telescoping of the support and also to urge the ends of the support against the side walls of the combustion chamber, comprises generally a plunger 44, slidably mounted within the cylinder 45, and spring biased out of the cylinder by spring 46, one end of which bears against the closed end 47 of cylinder 45, the other end bearing against a collar 48 on plunger 44. On the other free end of plunger 44 is secured a metal block 49 having a channel 50 in which is pivotally mounted a dog 51 by means of pin 52. The dog 51 is provided with a spike 53 which can engage any one of the holes in flange 22. In the inoperative position the dog 51 lies substantially within the channel 50 and when operative it is positioned as shown, spike 53 being in engagement with one of the holes 23.

The operation of the latching mechanism 16 in conjunction with mounting the support within the combustion chamber, is as follows: The longitudinal members 14 and 15 are moved in relation to one another until the overall length of the support is equal to the width of the fireplace combustion chamber at the point where it is desired to mount the support. The support is then further extended a distance approximately equal to one half the length of spring 46 in cylinder 45. Spike 53 of dog 51 is allowed to engage one of the holes 23 which is nearest to spike 53. Free telescoping of the support is prohibited with the latching mechanism thus engaged, however, a limited telescoping of the support is possible by applying longitudinal compression to the support which causes spring 46 within the locking means 16 to be compressed. In mounting the support members 14 and 15 are urged against one another thereby compressing the spring 46 until the overall length of the support is slightly smaller than the width of the fireplace combustion chamber. The support is positioned in place and the pressure is released, whereby the partially compressed spring 46 urges the ends of the support against the side walls of the combustion chamber.

The ends of the support bearing against the combustion chamber side walls may be serrated as shown at 54 (Fig. 2) to increase the friction between the side walls and support. If the side walls are uneven, resilient end pads which deform under pressure may also be used to ensure that the support will not slip or rotate.

Thus in the preferred embodiment, the friction between the ends of the extensibly biased support is the only factor which holds the support in place. No clamps, flanges or other external means are required, and since mounting and removing the support is simply a matter of compressing the support, 'the services of a skilled artisan are entirely eliminated. The tracks, to accommodate the screen suspension assemblies provided on the lower portion of the flanges lie in spaced parallel relationship and permit the screen parts to be moved longitudinally along the support in overlapping relationship. As a result the screens lie flat irrespective of the longitudinal adjustment of the support and at the same time permit the screens to be rolled aside to allow access to the interior of the combustion chamber. The support presents a neat and clean appearance to the eye since the locking mechanism is contained entirely within the support.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken only as a 1 preferred example and that various changes in the shape, 'size and arrangement of the parts maybe resorted to and two parallel side webs, the edge of one side web remote'from the top web being formed with a retroverted portion defining a first U-shaped channel opening towards "the 'top web, a second elongated U-shaped member having a top web and two parallel side webs adapted to slidably fit within the first member with its top web adjacent the top web of the first member, the side wall of the sec- 1 ond member opposite the channel on the side wall of the first member being formed with a retroverted portion along the edge remote from the top web to define a second U-shaped channel opening towards the top web, a compression spring bias latching means carried by the second member and engageable with the first member, the spring resisting longitudinal compression of the support and, "when compressed, urging longitudinal extension'of the support, each U-shaped channel carrying a set of longitudinally movable suspension assemblies for suspending screen parts therefrom so that each channel may carry and accommodate its own screen part independently of "and without interference with the screen part carried by the suspension assemblies in the other channel.

2 An adjustable fireplace screen support as claimed in claim l-in which the spring bias latching means include a cylinder secured within the second member adjacent one end with its axes extending longitudinally of the sec- "ond member, a plunger having one end in the cylinder and having a free end extending beyond the adjacent end of the second member, the plunger being slidable in the cylinder between two stops limiting its movement in both senses of the longitudinal direction, a compression spring urging the plunger in the direction leading out of the second member, and latching means carried by the free end of 'the plunger and engageable with one of a series of holes carried by the first member so that when the latching means is engaged with the second member, limited compression of the support may be eifected against the action of the spring, which, when compressed,'will urge longitudinal extension of the support.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED-STATES PATENTS 

